Ford Bronco II Common Upgrades

Ford Bronco II Common Upgrades

Over the years, we’ve seen various Bronco II buildups. Here’s an overview of the most common upgrades.

Manual Locking Hubs

The automatic hubs become unreliable with age and can fail. When they do, there’s no automatic hubs available to replace them. One of the first upgrades people do is to replace the automatic hubs with manual locking hubs.

See: Automatic To Manual Hub Conversion

Ignition Conversions

The 2.8L is equipped with a TFI (Thick Film Ignition) ignition that is known to be problematic and fail. A common upgrade is to replace the TFI ignition with an earlier Duraspark conversion, GM HEI Ignition, or an aftermarket Powerspark Ignition.

See: 2.8L Duraspark Conversion

See: GM HEI Ignition Conversion

See: Powerspark Ignition Conversion

Suspension Lift

A common upgrade is to add a suspension lift to make room for larger tires.

• 1.5-Inch Lift & Fender Trimming = 31-Inch Tires
• 4-Inch Lift = 31-Inch Tires
• 4-Inch Lift and Cutout Fenders / Fender Flares = 33-Inch Tires
• 6-Inch Lift = 33-Inch Tires

See: 1983–1997 Ford Ranger TTB Suspension Modification Guide

Dana 35 TTB Axle Swap

The Ford Bronco II was equipped with the Dana 28 TTB front axle. In November 1989, Ford began installing the Dana 35 TTB in its place. The Dana 28 TTB doesn’t have any aftermarket gear and locker options and is only good for tires under 33-inches. Those building a Bronco II for off-road replace the Dana 28 TTB with the stronger Dana 35 TTB.

See: Dana 28 / 35 TTB Axles (1983-1997)

See: Dana 28 TTB to Dana 35 TTB Swap

A4LD Automatic Transmission

The A4LD had reliability issues from 1985-1987. Reliability began to improve in mid-1988 when Ford introduced the dual solenoid setup. Models from 1989 and later benefited from Ford’s broader engineering push to improve “Noise, Vibration, and Harshness” (NVH) and general durability, making them noticeably better than 1985–1987 models. One of the A4LD’s biggest enemy and cause for failure is heat. A common upgrade is to install an auxiliary transmission cooler in the transmission cooler return line.

See: Ford Ranger A4LD Automatic Transmission

Ford 8.8-Inch Rear Axle

The Bronco II came with a Ford 7.5-Inch rear axle. Even the ones built with Dana 35s. The Ford 7.5-Inch axle can handle a 33-inch tire, but for serious off-roading many off-roaders replace the 7.5-Inch axle with a Ford 8.8-Inch axle out of a Ford Explorer. Not only does it offer a larger gear size, but it also comes with a larger 31-spline axle shaft and disc brakes.

See: Ranger / Explorer 8.8-Inch Axle History & Specs

See: Explorer 8.8-Inch Axle Swap

Ford 8.8-Inch Rear Axle With Discs (Shown Upside Down)

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